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Entered: 03/04/2023
Status: Offered
Age: 4; born 12/26/2018
Color: Liver/White
Weight: 32 lbs.
Gender: Altered Male
Location: Unionville, VA
Health: UTD, HW-, being treated for small patches of dermatitis from previously being extremely matted
Temperament: Good with adults, unknown with children, likes to dominate other dogs and living in a pack is difficult for him, chases the resident cat, anxious when around large livestock such as horses
Updated 06/05/2023: “His foster parents have found him to be such a sweet and loving boy. He wants to be as close to his people as he can be at all times!”
Coco was moved to a new foster home to give him some relief from his first foster family’s horses. Coco felt that they were entirely too close to him for his comfort. Their presence kept him amped up and unable to relax.
This youngster has done very well in his new foster home. His foster parents have found him to be such a sweet and loving boy. He wants to be as close to his people as he can be at all times!
When going for a walk, Coco will bark at other dogs and other animals he encounters. This is an area in which he will need continued training.
When taken to the vet, it was decided to start Coco on an inexpensive anti-anxiety medication. This has allowed him to calm down and enjoy life. His new family will be required to keep him on this medication for a minimum of six months after adoption.
If you are looking for a loving companion, this is the boy for you.
Original: “Coco is a total love bug. He shines when he gets praised and he just wants to be close to his people throughout the day.”
Coco was surrendered to the local Virginia animal shelter when his owners realized they could not properly care for him. He was kept as an outside dog, but no more. MAESSR has made him an inside dog waiting for his forever home.
Housetraining is a work in progress for Coco. He does not signal to go out and had a couple of accidents in the first week. He goes out routinely throughout the day on the same schedule as the resident dogs and has not had an accident in the past week. He is beginning to demonstrate that he can have full run of the house. He is crate trained, willingly goes in when told to “kennel-up,” and looks for his treat and toy. He is crated when his foster mom runs errands to prevent a confrontation with the dominant resident dog and overnight to give the resident cat a break. He will sleep through the night for six hours but has to go outside immediately after coming out of his crate.
Coco is a total love bug. He shines when he gets praised and he just wants to be close to his people throughout the day. He has come a long way in his two weeks of foster care and is learning the benefits of living in the house. He will counter-surf, trash dive, and get up on the furniture if given the opportunity, though. These behaviors are remedied by “get down” but they are still a work in progress. He has chewed a corner of the dog bed but seems to leave clothes, shoes, and furniture alone. Good boy, Coco!
Although Coco has had no contact with children in his foster home, his previous owners reported to the shelter intake worker that Coco is generally fine with children but doesn’t like small children invading his personal space and slapping his crate.
A very smart dog, Coco works best with positive reinforcement and, conversely, openly resents any negative methods. As for commands, Coco is fairly solid on “sit” and “get down.” All other commands need work. Currently, his foster family is working hard on his recall and “stay.” He apparently has never been trained to walk on the leash, but he quickly has picked up walking near his person. He pulls, but doesn’t drag his human companion and can be redirected easily with a treat. He loves running free in the backyard with the resident dogs and he is fast! He will follow them to the door when it is time to come in. He rides crated in the car with no problem.
Coco will empty the toy box and spread the toys all around the floor. He “talks” to the toys as he plays with them with a series of whines. Currently, his mission is to destroy all the soft toys either by shredding them or tearing them apart, so at this point, ropes and harder toys are best for him. His favorite toys are a rope through a ball and a Kong rubber bone for powerful chewers. He will carry the toys around and try to entice the resident dog to take it from him.
Currently, Coco needs to learn boundaries with the other dogs. He is afraid of and reactive to horses and other livestock, so a suburban home where he isn’t continually triggered would be best. He is fed along with the resident dogs and does not resource guard his food or treats. Coco has chased the resident cat but she is dog-savvy and stays out of his way.
Coco has not been to the groomers, but was completely body shaved when he was pulled from the shelter due to the severity of the matting. He was fine with his nails being dremelled and having his ears cleaned. At his vet visit, Coco was apprehensive but very cooperative.
Coco craves love and attention but is wary of new things. He would be best suited as a single dog home with someone home most of the time where he could be the center of attention. He wants to be his person’s one and only companion. He requires a fenced backyard since he has a lot of energy and wants to run and do the zoomies and keep the birds and squirrels out of the yard. His adopter needs to be committed to continuing his training. Coco will be a star pupil since he is very eager to please.
Are you the one and only for Coco?